James Smith (September 17, 1719
– July 11, 1806), a
Founding Father of the United States
The Founding Fathers of the United States, known simply as the Founding Fathers or Founders, were a group of late-18th-century American revolutionary
Patriots, also known as Revolutionaries, Continentals, Rebels, or American Whigs, were t ...
, was an Irish/American lawyer and a signer to the
United States Declaration of Independence
The United States Declaration of Independence, formally The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen States of America, is the pronouncement and founding document adopted by the Second Continental Congress meeting at Pennsylvania State House ...
as a representative of
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
.
He was born in
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
; his family immigrated to
Chester County, Pennsylvania
Chester County (Pennsylvania Dutch language, Pennsylvania Dutch: ''Tscheschter Kaundi''), colloquially known as Chesco, is a County (United States), county in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is located in the De ...
, in 1729.
[ Smith attended the Philadelphia Academy.] He studied law at the office of his brother George and was admitted to the bar in Pennsylvania, initially practicing near Shippensburg and later near York
York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...
. He became captain of the militia there. He was appointed to the provincial convention in Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
in 1775, to the state constitutional convention in 1776, and was elected to the Continental Congress
The Continental Congress was a series of legislative bodies, with some executive function, for thirteen of Britain's colonies in North America, and the newly declared United States just before, during, and after the American Revolutionary War. ...
, where he signed the Declaration of Independence. He was reelected to Congress in 1785 but declined to attend because of his advanced age.
Smith died on July 11, 1806, and is buried in York, Pennsylvania, First Presbyterian Churchyard. The University of Delaware
The University of Delaware (colloquially UD or Delaware) is a public land-grant research university located in Newark, Delaware. UD is the largest university in Delaware. It offers three associate's programs, 148 bachelor's programs, 121 mas ...
has a dormitory on its North Campus bearing his name.
See also
* Memorial to the 56 Signers of the Declaration of Independence
The Memorial to the 56 Signers of the Declaration of Independence is a memorial depicting the signatures of the 56 signatories to the United States Declaration of Independence. It is located in the Constitution Gardens on the National Mall in W ...
References
* ''Lawyers and Leaders: The Role of Lawyers in the Development of York County, Pennsylvania'', 2005, , York County Bar Association by Georg R. Sheets
External links
* http://www.libraryireland.com/biography/JamesSmith.php
Biography by Rev. Charles A. Goodrich, 1856
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, James
1719 births
1806 deaths
People from Ulster
American Presbyterians
Presbyterians from Pennsylvania
American people of Scotch-Irish descent
Continental Congressmen from Pennsylvania
18th-century American politicians
Signers of the United States Declaration of Independence
Foundrymen
Irish writers
University of Pennsylvania alumni
Politicians from York, Pennsylvania
People from Chester County, Pennsylvania
18th-century Irish people
19th-century Irish people